Cycle C - Year I:

27 January 2013 - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

The mission begins!

We go back to the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, and today is the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Ordinary Time is the yearly cycle of 33 or 34 weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness. (Ordo 2013)

Our celebration of Ordinary Time has two segments: from the Monday following the Baptism of the Lord up to Ash Wednesday (which falls on February 13 this year); and the second part from Pentecost Monday to the first Sunday of Advent. This makes it the longest season of the liturgical year of the Church.

The Gospel this Sunday also has two parts. It begins with the introduction (or Prologue) of the Gospel of St. Luke (Lk 1:1-4); and the other part the beginning of the Galilean or public Ministry of Jesus. (Lk 4:14-21)

Let us reflect on the Gospel reading:

In writing his Gospel account, St. Luke wanted to state clearly that he did not invent a story or teach something new in his writing. From the very start, he conveys the simple fact that the Church, as the People of God or followers of Jesus, and oral tradition existed before the actual writings of the Gospels. This oral tradition means literally the "handing down" of the faith. As a faithful Christian, St. Luke likewise is handing down the truth he received from the Church in his Gospel account.

It follows that we should always let Mother Church guide us through the reading and reflection of the Scripture, illuminating our minds by way of her (meaning, the Church's) teachings, the liturgy, and the Church Fathers (or influential theologians, writers or teachers of the Church), so that we are able to better perceive and understand what the Divine Author intends to convey in the Scripture. Because there is the danger that reading the Scripture outside of the Church's tradition, or without a teacher, may result in reading it out of context. So we must be watchful that we do not fall into the recruits of many Christian sects who preach the Scripture by their own personal interpretations, and so outside the Church's teaching and the oral tradition handed down by the Apostles and early disciples.

The second part of the Gospel presents us with Jesus' first act of his public ministry. That means, his mission as the Messiah begins.

Following his river baptism and his 40 days wilderness fast, Jesus is now ready to start his mission. He came back to his home town of Nazareth. According to his custom, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah:

        "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me 
        to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty 
        to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the
        oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." 
        (Is 61:1-2)

The Jewish teachers interpreted the above passage from Isaiah as referring to the long awaited Messiah. After reading this passage, Jesus categorically declared: "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing!" And that is like his "mission statement" at the start of his public ministry, clearly confirming that indeed He is the Messiah!

By virtue of our own baptism, we, too, are tasked today to continue the mission that Jesus began in Galilee. By our authentic Christian living, let us proclaim the Good News and be witnesses of God's love, especially for the poor, the captives, the handicapped, and all the suffering and unhappy people in our midst.

The Church also celebrates this Sunday National Bible Sunday with the theme "Proclaim the Word... Profess the Faith." Let us keep the habit of reading and reflecting on the word of God in the bible under the faithful guidance of our Mother Church.
 
A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!